Authorities harassing kin of separatists to peddle propaganda: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, March 26

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are “harassing” the family members of separatists to “peddle propaganda” by making them disown their families, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Tuesday.

Her remarks came after jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s daughter Sama Shabir and deceased Pakistan supporter Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s granddaughter Ruwa Shah dissociated themselves from the separatist ideology and pledged their loyalty to the sovereignty of the Union of India.

“Kashmir witnessed a time when gun toting militants threatened and forced political workers to disassociate themselves from the mainstream or face dire consequences. Today that pattern is being repeated and what makes it even more disturbing is that the role is being played by the state itself. They are harassing families of separatists.

“Not even sparing their daughters to peddle propaganda by making them disown their families. Even after a brutal crackdown and suppression, the Union Government continues to feel paranoid. Shameless is an understatement for such cowardly actions,” the former Jammu and Kashmir CM said in a post on X.

Ruwa, daughter of Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh, issued a public notice distancing herself from the Hurriyat Conference faction founded by her late grandfather. She also declared that she has no inclination or sympathy tIn a separate public notice published in a local newspaper, 23-year-old Sama Shabir, a former CBSE exam topper in Kashmir, emphasised her status as a loyal Indian citizen and unequivocally distanced herself from the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP).